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Statement on yesterday’s developments in Obrežje

On Monday morning 21.09.2015 at 00:30 twelve volunteers were detained on the Slovenian border crossing PMP Obrežje when they were trying to pass it, after they brought material help and volunteered in the refuge camp on the border on Sunday 20.09.2015. The police officer took their documents and they were waiting for an hour before he explained to them why they are being held. He said they will all be fined for offense of ZVDM-2 law for “unjustifiably containment or movement on the border crossing”. After the explanation they were held there for additional two hours and each of them received the fine. Non of them were given the chance to explain why they were present on the border area even tough the border police directed them where they can personally deliver material goods for the refugees on Sunday. Three of the people were non Slovenian citizens whose documents were confiscated with the explanation that it is necessary to insure the implementation of the given sanctions. Two of the people were volunteering as interpreters during the day and also assisted the police to communicate with the refugees. They are not getting their documents until they pay the fine which can take a lot of time because they want to write an appeal but they do not wish to be held in Slovenia until the procedure is finished.

It is obvious that this is pressure on activist and all that are trying to help refugees that are stuck in impossible circumstances on no mans land between border crossings. This is criminalisation of self-organized people that help refugees – they are also doing self-organized actions. Supporters, like refugees, are being divided based on nationality and sex. By doing this the state is covering their own mistakes, as they are unable to react in the situation and thinking out of legal frames that are totally useless on the quickly changing terrain.